Container



A. C. MACE.

CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2I.1918

A. C. MACE.

' CONTAINER.

APPLICATION mm) JAN. 2\. ms.

1,303,93%,, Patented May 20, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i I 4 z I I a g i A. C. MACE.

CONTAINER.

APPLICATION man IAN. 21. 19m.

Patented May 20, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r I I llllllllllllll ALFRED C. MACE, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. MACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Containers, of which the following is a specification. 4

This invention relates to fiber-board or like containers" adapted to have packed therein bakery products, such as crackers, biscuits, cakes, and the like, and which containers are used to transport such products from the manufacturing baker to the retail grocer, who sells or dispenses the products packed therein directly to the retail trade, in the same manner as heretofore ,employed with the tin or metal boxes or caddies heretofore used, and which tin caddies the fiber-board containers referred to are designed to supplant.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a container of the kind referred to, so constructed that ametal or other display cover may be placed on the open end of the container after the same has been received by the retail grocer, and, further, to provide means whereby the container itself is provided with the name of the products packed therein, so that the display cover need not be provided with the name of any of the bakery products, and thereby permit a display cover to be used on any of the containers regardless of the name of the products packed therein. In carrying out the objects of my invention, the name bearing means on the container is so arranged as to be visible through the sight'opening or win dow provided in the display cover, the result being that none of the display covers with which the retail grocer is provided need be restricted in their use to a container' having packed therein any particular named articles. In one of the specific embodiments of my invention I provide the lid of the container with a portion bearing the name of the products packed in the container, and so construct and arrange the parts that when the retail grocer desires to use the container as the dispensing receptacle, all that is necessary for him to do is to sever or cut oif that portion of the, lid beyond the part bearing the name of the products packed in the container, whereupon the container is open and ready to have :1. display cover placed oven-the open end of the same; the name of the products on the remaining part of the lid being visible through the sight opening or window in the display cover.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a con tainer constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the lid thereof in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of said container and showing its lid in partially opened position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the container and showing remaining as a part thereof that portion of the lid on which appears the name of the products packed in the container after the other portion of said lid has been severed and removed from the container;

Fig. 4 is a topplan view of the container shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the container shown in Fig. 4, after a metal display cover has been placed over the upper open end thereof; the name bearing strip or flange at the upper end of the container being visible through the sight opening or window in said metal cover;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 8- of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a container and showing the line of severance which divides the lid thereof into two joined sections, arranged in such a manner as to cause the portion of the lid provided with the name of the products packed in the container to extend over the upper end of the container a greater distance than provided by the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken through the container shown in Fig. 9, after a portion of the lid has been removed and the container placed in a store rack and beneath a metal display cover provided in such rack; and i Fig. '11 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 10.

The container 10, illustrated in the accomwhich extend beneath the lid 13 when the panying drawings, made in accordance with my invention, is preferably formed of fiberboard or other non-metallic, relatively rigid, but light material, and is furthermore made of such a size and shape as to have packed therein bakery products, such as biscuits, crackers, and the like. Said container 10 is primarily designed to supplant the tin box or caddy heretofore used for shipping such products from themanufacturing baker to the retail grocer, who dispenses such products to the customer directly from the container 10. As illustrated, said container 10 is made from a blank suitably cut and scored so that when set up provides th container with connected upright marginal walls 11, 11 and a bottom wall 12, the latter in the instance shown being formed of a number of overlapping and interlocking flaps integral with the marginal walls of the box. Also said container is provided with a lid 13 integral with one of the upright walls 11 and divided therefrom at its base by a score or fold line, so that the lid 13 may be swung up and down in opening and closing theco'ntainer. Fig. 1 showsthe lid 13 closed, and Fig. 2 shows it partially raised. Said lid 13 is provided at its free or outer end with a depending marginal flap 14, as customarily employed, and the side walls of the container are provided along their upper edges with inwardly extending marginal flaps 15, 15,

latter is closed. The meeting portions of the marginal walls 11, 11 are connected together at one of the corners of the container by a plurality of metal fasteners or staples 16, 16.

The lid 13 is divided transversely into two joined portions or sections by a line of sev-- erance 17 arranged between the base and outer 'free edge of the lid and extending entirely across the same. In Figs. 1 to 8, said line of severance is located adjacent the base of the lid, that is, where the lid joins the marginal wall of the box, thereby providing a portion 18 between the base of the lid and said lineof severance. On the outer face of the portion 18 is applied the name of products packed in the container. In the example shown in the drawings, the name Fig Bars is applied on the outer face of said portion 18, thereby indicating that the particular container shown is packed with such products. It is to be understood, of course, that other names of products will be applied to the portions 18 of the containers packed with other kinds of products, and that I have selected the name Fig Bars for illustrative purposes only. The line of severance 17 is preferably given the shape shown, that is, the side portions are inclined and merge into the central portion, which is substantial] parallel to the base or fold line of the lid. t

.is preferable that the name of the product packed or to be packed in the container 10 1s 7 be be printed or otherwise applied on a paper strip 19, which is pasted or otherwise aflixed on the outer face of the lid portion '18, with the outer edge of such paper strip substantially coinciding with the adjacent edge of the name bearing strip 18. By this arrangement a neat appearance is gained and furthermore the shape of the portion 18 indicates exactly where the name bearing strip 19 is to be placed on the lid 13. The inclined parts of the line 17 are preferably made of elongated, perforations extending clear through the material of the lid, as shown by 15* in'Fig. 8, while the central portion of the severance line extends only partially through the material of the lid, as shown by 15 in Fig. 7, so that when the portion of the lid beyond the severance line 17 is removed, the central portion of said line 17 will not have a ragged edge and thus present aneat and finished appearance especially when viewed through the-sight opening or window of the metal .display cover to be hereinafter described. The name strip 19 may be applied on the lid portion 18 in the manufacture of the container and before being sent to the bakery for use as a packing receptacle, or such name strips may be applied after the container has been packed with bakery products. But in any event, it preferable that such name stripbe applied ore the packed container is shipped to the retail grocer.

After the articles have been packed in the container 10, the lid 13 is closed and the packed container shipped to the retail dealer, the name strip 19 of course being on the portion 18 of the lid so as to designate the name of the roducts packed in the container. When t e retail dealer desires to dispense to the customer the products packed in the container 10, he first opens the lid 13 and removes that portion thereof beyond the name bearing strip 18 by cutting the cover from the portion or flap 18 along the line of severance 17, thereby leaving the name bearing flap 18' on the upper open end of the contalner. The severed lid 13 is then replaced by the retail grocer with a suitable metal display cover 20. The metal cover 20, as shown in Figs 5 and 6, is of a size to fit over the now open upper end of the container 1.0, and is provided with depending front and side marginal flanges 21, so that when the cover is closed such flanges extend downward over the outside of the adjacent upright walls 11 of the container. Any suitable type of display cover 20 may be provided and one which will enable the grocer to readily open the container so as to have access tothe articles contained therein when desired for selling such articles to a customer. In the exampleshown, however, the metal cover 20 is so constructed that it may be readily attached to the upper edge of that upright wall of the container directly opposite the name bearing flap 18, and, as shown in Fig. 6, the metal cover is provided with an inverted U shaped strip 22 for that purpose. The metal cover has hinged connection with said attachlng strip 22, so that the cover may be raised and lowered for opening and closing the container 10. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, said metal cover 20 is provided withinthe boundaries of its top wall and adjacent the front edge thereof with a sight opening or window 23, over which is fixed a suitable transparent panel, such as mica or glass 24. The sight opening or window 23 is so arranged and the name bearing flap 18 is of such dimensions that the latter extends beneath the cover and in position to be visible through the transparent panel 24 when;

the cover 20 is in closed position. Consequently, when the cover 20 is closed, the name bearing strip 18 of the container is always visible through the sight opening in the cover, so that the retail grocer as well as the customer may see the name of the products contained in the carton. That portion of the top wall of the metal cover 20 between the sight opening 23 and its hingedmargin may ice-provided with the name of the concern making the bakery products packed in the carton. After all the products which were packed in the container have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the retail grocer may readily remove the metal cover 20 and apply the same over another container containing either the same kind of products or difierent products, it making no difference which, as the container itself carries the name of its products and not the metal dis-. play cover. Thus, it follows that one metal display cover may be used over and over again with any container provided with my invention, as the container itself bears the name of the products packed therein and not the metal display cover. From this it follows that the retail grocer is not required to have on hand a metal displaycover for each and every kind of bakery product he sells. This is one of the advantages of my invention, but there are others which will be readily apparent to those acquainted with the business to which my invention has reference.

In Figs. 10. and 11, I have shown a dis play rack 25 designed for use in grocery and =like stores. Said rack is provided with four upright corner posts or standards 26, 26,

between which extend shelves 27 27 for supporting thereon in an upright position a container 28 made exactly like and for the The line of severance 30 is arranged nearer to the free forward edge of the lid 29 than to the base or fold line of said lid, as shown in Fig. 9, thereby providing a name bearing portion 31 extending over the upper end of the container a much greater distance than the flap 18 provided on the container 10. Except for this difference the two containers 10 and 28 are the same, and like parts in the two containers are indicated by the same reference characters. In the rack 25 there is a metal or other display cover 32 hinged on a rod 33 fixed in and extending between two of the corner posts of the rack. With such construction the display cover 32 is fixed in a permanent position and located far enough above the shelves 27, 27' to receive therebelow the container 28, after the lid has been removed therefrom along the line of severance 30. In use, however, the container 28 is placed on the rack so that the base or fold line of the name bearing flap or portion 31 is at the back or adjacent the hinge rod 33, thus closing the space between the cover 32 and the now rear wall of the container. Said display cover 32 is provided with a transparent window 4, through which the name bearing strip 19 on said flap 31 is visible, as shown in Fig. 11. Of course, the container 10 may be used in the rack 25, but the box is placed on the rack with the upright wall provided with the name bearing flap 18 at the front, in such case the name on the flap 18 being visible through the window 34, when the displaycover 32 is closed, in the same manner as shown in Fig. 5.

Although I have shown and described in detail herein a device embodying the features of my invention, it is of course understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown may be variously modified and changed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A container comprising a bottom wall, marginal walls, and a hinged lid, one portion of the same having thereon the name of the articles packed or to be packed in the container and adapted to remain connected with said container when the remaining portion of said lid is removed therefrom.

2. A container comprising a bottom wall, marginal walls, and a lid hinged at its base to one of said marginal walls and being divided into two joined sections by a teari or cutting line extending across the lid be tween its base and the opposite free edge thereof, and that section of said lid between its base and said cutting line being provided with the name of the articles packed or to be packed in said container and adapted to remain connected with said container when the remaining section of said lid is removed therefrom along said cutting line.

.3. A container comprising a bottom wall, andupright marginal walls, said container being provided at its upper end with an inwardly extending marginal flap projecting partially over the upper end of the container and having thereon the name of the articles in or to be placed in said container.

4. In combination, a container comprising a bottom wall, and upright marginal walls,

said container being provided at its upper end with an inwardly extending flap having thereon the name of the articles in or to be placed in said container and projecting partially over the upper end thereof,

and a cover adapted to be placed over the upper end of said container and having a display opening or window through which the name bearing portion of said flap is visible.

5. In combination, a container having a bottom wall, marginal walls, and 1a lid hinged at its base to one of said marginal walls and being divided into two joined sections by a tearing or cutting line extending across the lid between its base and the opposite free edge thereof, and that section of the lid between its base and said cutting line being provided with the name of the articles in or to be placed in said container and adapted to remain connected with said container when the remaining section of said lid is removed therefrom along said cutting line, and a cover adapted to be placed over the upper end of the container after the removal therefrom of that section of the lid beyond said cutting line, and said cover being provided with a display opening or window through which the name bearing portion of said lid is visible.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 14th day of January, A. D. 1918.

ALFRED c. MACE. 

